Lessons
by CleanAsAWhistle
Summary: A short story about the three Inn sisters trying to learn things on their own, and not doing to well at it. Disclaimer- I don't own Rune Factory.


Lily plucked the strings on her lute, frowning. It was out of tune, and much more than usual. She hadn't left it alone for longer than usual, so she couldn't understand the change. Then she shrugged, and gave herself a secret smile. _Oh well_, she thought, _must have been something silly I did_. She stood up, and stretched, preparing herself to go work her shift down at the Inn. She loved to work at the Inn, especially when it was the later hours, when she was allowed to play her lute for customers.

She skipped down the stairs, only falling once. She took her place near the edge of the counter, and began to retune her lute. When she felt satisfied with the sound her instrument made, she took time to consider her instrument before beginning her playing. She noticed there were fingerprints along the sides of the lute, where Lily always polished after a night of working. Again, she shrugged, resolving that she must have simply forgotten to clean the instrument.

Odette called from the kitchen in a slightly scolding manner. "Lily, have you been using the kitchen again? I asked you to come to me when you wanted something to eat."

Lily blushed. The entire room had heard her sister call her out, and she was slightly embarrassed. She had been in the kitchen, but she had been trying to make something, not necessarily because she was hungry. She had been practicing, trying to improve her culinary skills to a point where she might be able to serve her sisters something.

"I'm sorry, Odette," Lily called back, "I'll be sure to get your help next time." Lily smiled at her sister as Odette walked out of the kitchen, looking slightly exasperated. "That's exactly what you said last time I had missing ingredients," she pointed out.

Lily merely shrugged and smiled, trying to hide her faint blush from the crowd of diners. "I'm sorry, I just forget occasionally." Odette shook her head, but smiled faintly at her older sister.

"Just come to me when you're hungry, or take something that's already been made. I need some of those ingredients for meals we'll serve." Lily truly was sorry for any inconvenience she caused her sister, but not enough to stop trying to cook.

"Right," Lily agreed, and Odette walked behind the counter and began organizing the Inn's inventory.

Violet ran her fingers over her plants. She was slightly concerned by the poor condition of a few of the flowers, and a small number of them appeared to have been cut at by unprofessional hands. She turned to leave her small garden, and found herself face to face with Odette. For some reason, Odette had a small amount of surprise on her face, as if she had not been looking for Violet. _Why else would she have come?_

"Oh, hello!" Odette said with a cheerful voice. The surprise had given way to something like embarrassment. _What reason does Odette have to be embarrassed?_

Violet smiled weakly at her older sister. "Hello to you, too. Did you need me for something?" she asked lightly. Odette shook her head. "Uh… no. I was just… checking up on you." She seemed flustered, but Violet was at a loss as to why. "Okay, I guess I'm fine. Umm… are you alright?" Violet asked quizzically to the now-blushing Odette.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I guess- I guess I'll see you back at the Inn." Odette ran off, leaving Violet very confused. As much as Odette cared for her, she didn't come to visit the Church very often, at least not just to see her. And she had acted as if she was confused to see Violet there, even though the only reason Odette ever came near the gardens was to see her. _So odd._

Lily hummed as she walked down the hall to her bedroom. She had just finished several errands for Odette early, and was looking forward to playing her lute at the Inn. She was mentally picking musical pieces from her vast repertoire when she arrived to her door. She was about to turn the handle when she heard a voice behind the door. Her sisters were often in the bedroom, so the voices of her family shouldn't have been odd, but it sounded as if they were in the middle of an argument.

"You shouldn't use it," Lily heard Odette firmly state, "Not without asking her." Lily shook her head. _What was she talking about?_

Violet spoke in a tense, high pitched voice. "I'm not hurting anything; I just wanted to try it, that's all." Lily heard Odette sigh in frustration. _What are they arguing over?_

Lily turned the handle on the door and stepped in. Her sisters turned to look at her. Violet was holding the lute in her hands, and was blushing profusely. Odette was frowning, but also seemed surprised to see Lily. Lily smiled at the two, and sat down next to Violet, gently taking the lute from her.

"Were you trying to play?" she asked her gently. Violet looked at her shoes and nodded, her face still flushed. Lily smiled at her sister, and lifted her chin up. Violet resisted the urge to look away from her sister, who simply asked, "Do you know how?"

Violet shook her head, and to her surprise, Lily clapped her hands and smiled even wider. "Then I'll teach you!" Violet's eyes widened. "Really? You'll teach me to play?" Violet was slightly confused. Lily was usually on the protective side when it came to her instrument, and Violet had believed that it would be no small matter to persuade her to give out lessons. But Lilly just nodded happily, and gave Violet a small hug. "I've always wanted one of my sisters to be able to play, but I thought neither of you were interested."

_It's weird how that works_, thought Odette from the other side of the room. _I've always wished that my sisters would take more of an interest in cooking, as it's something I like to do. But I always like to make meals by myself, and usually when I find either one of them in the kitchen, I take charge, or kick them out, in Lily's case. Maybe I should be more considerate ._Lily turned to Odette.

"Did you want to learn as well?" Lily smiled at her, and Odette decided that it had a possibility of being something they could all enjoy together. "Sure!" Odette replied, smiling wide and nodding.

Violet walked around the clinic, bored. There had been no one around the entire day, any she had been stuck her for that long while. She decided to go out to her garden, at least for a few minutes. _No one is going to come anyways_, she thought in frustration. She walked out the side door, and around the front of the Church. As she approached the site of the wedding bell, she saw Odette in the corner of the small area, cutting a blossom of one of the small plants that grew there. She was whistling, and obviously enjoying herself.

"Odette?" she called uncertainly. Odette jumped, hiding the shears she had used to severe the flower. "Hi, Violet!" she said, waving. Violet walked towards her, and peered at the plant she had cut. "Umm, Odette? Were you cutting the stems of this bush?" Odette looked at it with mild surprise.

"Well, no- I mean, I might have, I guess I sort of could have." She looked at the plant guiltily, and Violet started to laugh. Odette looked at her sorrowfully, but Violet just continued to crack up.

"That's- That's not- how you're supposed to- make them grow faster, if that's what- what you're wondering," Violet said through her mirth. Odette blushed, and felt slightly offended, as Violet rarely laughed this mercilessly, especially at another person. Odette felt more than a little silly.

"I know that," Odette said, clenching her fists by her side. "I was- trying to replant them," she explained, as Violet continued to laugh. Even Violet didn't know why she found it so ridiculously funny, but she eventually calmed down to the point where she achieved the ability of speech.

"Flowers can't survive for long when they're separated from the plant they grew on," she explained. Odette nodded, but had a frustrated look on her face. She tilted her head to the side, and asked, "Then how are you supposed to move them from pot to pot?"

Violet showed her the rudimentary basics of replanting, and a few other gardening skills. After Odette was satisfied, Violet pondered aloud, "Our family doesn't seem to be very good at asking for help." Odette nodded in agreement. "Next thing you know, we'll find Lily trying to cook."

The two sisters smiled at the thought, and set off or home.

Lily let out a small sigh of frustration. That was the third time she had burnt the yogurt in her parfait. The recipe didn't say anything about frying the yogurt, but Lily assumed that all the ingredients should be baked properly before being added to the meal. She was just about to start again when her two sisters walked in, laughing over something that Odette had said.

The two sisters stared in shock at the sight before them. There were splatters on the wall, and a smoking mass in the sink. The trash can appeared to be melting, and then there was a frazzled Lily, covered head to toe in flour, which she had thought would mix well with the applesauce. The two began to look at each other with smiles, and eventually laughter. Lily frowned. "I'm- I'm sorry about the kitchen- I'll clean it up right now." But Odette and Violet shook their heads, and grabbed the cleaning supplies from the nearby corner. "We'll help you," Odette promised, "And afterwards, maybe we can give you a cooking lesson- or two."


End file.
